This invention relates to a hand catapult and, more particularly, to an improved hand catapult provided with a shaped handle with steel handle core means for affording heft and stability, and an offset carriage which allows a natural arm position in use. The handle core means readily accommodates accessories and attachments. Among the accessories are a wrist strap for reducing strain while shooting and eliminating the chance of dropping the hand catapult between shots, a wrist brace to provide greater stability to the wrist for accurate aiming, and an ammunition tube for carrying extra missiles or balls.
Slingshots or hand catapults have been used for many years as hunting weapons and recreation devices. Essentially, a slingshot comprises a stock or frame generally Y-shaped in configuration, having a handle portion and a pair of spaced-apart arms forming a fork. Resilient band means is secured to the fork arms. The center of the resilient band means forms a pocket for a missile to be hurled, or alternatively, a pocket of leather or like material is joined between the sides of the resilient band means. The frame can be crudely made, as for example, from a forked tree branch, with a resilient band secured at each end to the arms. Alternatively, the frame can be made in a more sophisticated fashion, by molding plastic or similar modern fabrication techniques.
Prior art slingshot frames have generally been fabricated from a single member of assembled components wherein the handle and the ends of the arms of the U-shaped or V-shaped portion of the frame were coaxial. In use, it has been found to be a strain to hold the slingshot in proper sighting, cocking and shooting positions .
Users of slingshots attempt to compensate for the strain resulting from aiming and cocking the slingshot by tensioning the resilient band by tilting the whole slingshot.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved carefully designed and engineered hand catapult wherein the disadvantages and deficiencies of prior constructions are obviated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hand catapult having a carriage secured to the handle means in an offset manner to provide for most efficient sighting and use of the hand catapult.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved hand catapult having a handle provided with handle core means to permit ready affixation of the carriage and accessories to the handle.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved hand catapult having an offset carriage secured to the handle, and swivel carriage bindings for connecting the resilient band means to the carriage.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved hand catapult with attachments that can be selectively secured to the handle means for steadying the hand catapult in use, such attachments including a wrist strap and a wrist brace.
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved hand catapult having handle core means within the handle adapted to receive an ammunition tube attachment for carrying an additional supply of missiles to be hurled by the hand catapult, said missiles adapted to be released one at a time from the ammunition tube.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be made more apparent hereinafter.